Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-04-07


but they pulled the hemp on i'm in
spite OF me. Think he knowed some
thin you ought to know. That Evil
Snare thathe was ycllin' about was the
chap that got your pap's iarm; struck
me he knowed how he got itl"
Did you know Ivyl SnaerP
l was a youngster then, but re-
member i'm.
Ibid you ever see Fowler beforep'
"Sometimes thought had; couldn't {
place 'im."
John Earring looked at him soberly
moment. "Ab," he said, with an
imploring thread in his voice, "why
did you help do that awful thing last
nightF"
Captain Heatc, out his hand on his
hat and moved IL about on the table
with his eyes following IT, "Well, sir, ="
and he looked up, ''he was n pisen
scrub; what's the use. kid. you know he
was guilty. Didn't the whipped pup
hollcr for mercy when he fell among
the chairs before you over in the court
house there?n
ayes. he was guilty without a doubt,
and as far as man may judge received
only what he had earned, perhaps, but
the law should be supreme or it is
nothing"
II know, and il found i'm guilty
once, and by the Eternal o1ce is plentylh
and Absalom hit his hat blow that
left II exceedingly fiat, with mimic
cloud of meal and -four floating up
ward from IT, "The law is biz and
bully thing, kid, but sometimes it's so
slow it's own shadder can't help from
runnin' over It! We livencd 'er up a
bit last night Iguessr'
''Yes, il was very lively" said John
Earring, bitterly; ''in the eyes of the
law il was a murderl"
''ln the eyes of the dcucel What's
the law but the voice of the people?
and when the peoples voice wont
work it's their business to turn out and
tend to things with their hanis. They
was out last night" and Absalom got
up and walked about in his exultfng
bitterness.
John Earling stood still with his
band on the door-knob following him
with his eyes. Absalom wheeled about
and came up 20 him. and laid his big
hand on the young mans shoulder in
a tender, half-bashful, agitated way.
Couldn't help il, law or no law" he
said. 'Me and hum couldn't sleep in
tho same world no longer together il
amt big enoughl Ever since that
mornin' we pulled the miss out Of the
river he's been crowdin' me, crowdin'
mel know what he done; he more'n
killed herl seen and knowed more'n
| told at the trial. and so did you. He
done you awful wrong, kid; more'n
most folks knows, / guess. and
still you tried to save the whelp's
pelt for the law. It's like You,
but l couldn't stand his crowd
in; 1 know what he done 10
you and couldn't stand il! used to
nuss you when you wus n baby. kid,
and l follered you out from Ohier be-
cause-because-I was afeard some
thin might harm you, and though /
don't see you very often, or ever say
much, that yoke Of boys Of mine over
on the hill yonder amt no higher to
me than you are. and / couldn't stand
his crowdin'. Iknowed your mother,
kid; she was a kind of angel-woman;
liked her better than my own mother,
mean as it sounds to say it. and |
couldn't stand his crowdin' any
longerm
A mist was in Absalom's ewes rs he
jerked these sentences, and with the
last word he dropped John Earnings
hand and shot out of the door and
went away through the storm toward
the mill, being quite spent with such,
for him, ln0ual prOdigality
A mist was in the young mans eyes,
too, as he went to the window and
looked out. The lifelong love OF the
brave. bashful, bungling Absalom
seemed n very sweet thing TO Lin in
his loneliness.
That afternoon the storm lulled. and
when darkness gathered in the streets
OF Openstono the tempest fetched only
an occasional sob When the sun
came up again il seemed very far 20
the east of Openstone. so still and
lucent was the air and so broad-backed
and definite seemed the world in its
glistening coat Of snow. At about
eleven O'Clock the morning passenger
train came creaking into Openstone.
preceded by big snow-plow, which.
like some enormous, white-wInged ami
NAL, came cleaying through the drifts
and whirling the cleaning mass from
its mighty shares fifty feet to right and
left Then additional gangs OF men
were added TO the sect on force to
shovel the snow from the buried rails,
and John Earling was OF the train
that rolled out oi Openstone that after
noon, going in search of Ivyl Snacr.
In the morning he had gone to bid the
old lawyer goodbye, and found him
propped up in a big chair before n
roaring fire in the CRATE under the elk's
head. "Snum" exclaimed the old
man, grasping John Earrings hand
with his trembling crumpled fists, 1.-The
right thing happened in hurry this
timer
John Earling shook his head dep
recatingly.
'Hard, but right; | wonder what
Joel thinks now?' said the old lawyer.
John Earling shut his lips tight and
shook his head again. lie did not
wish to touch the subject; the whole
bitter, terrible theme was like a night
mare to him. Il am going away for
awhile" he said. "and l came to say
goodbye"
The old man put out his trembling
hand at once and whispered; "Good-
Dye!" and closed his eyes, holding fast
10 John Earrings hand. After a mo-
nent he whispered again: God bless
you; you have worked hard all your
life, and you ought to go away from
here awhile and rest. / know you'll
90 right, and do right used to jeer
some at your honesty, but 1 know
you'll win. II / don't wait for you TO |
come back you'll find | dinn't forget
Tou. Snuml snum! I'll not forget |
Tou!' and the old lawyer rolled his |
lead from side TO side with tears sliu- |
ping from under his closed eyolids.
John Earrings heart melted for the |
onely, helpless old man, and he put |
lis arms about his neck and kissed his /